The Last To Know
by starzee
Summary: Everyone figured it out before they did. One Shot.


I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**This is just a little One Shot idea I had that wouldn't go away. I usually can't do One Shots so that's why I keep trying them. Tell me what you think :)**

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><p>The Last to Know<p>

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><p>Caroline and Damon had feelings for each other – but they were the last to know about it. Everyone else figured it out way before they did, but nobody said anything about it because it amused them that the two of them were so emotionally idiotic that they didn't even <em>realise<em> it.

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><p>Jeremy figured it out first. It was the night before Caroline, Bonnie, Stefan, Tyler and Elena were graduating high school. Klaus was long since dead. Elena wanted to throw a dinner party to celebrate and she'd forced Damon and Alaric to be there too. Damon was seated next to Caroline and Jeremy and Bonnie were across from them. Everyone except Caroline, Damon and Jeremy were talking about colleges. Jeremy was <em>bored <em>of hearing about colleges since he wouldn't be attending for a while so he zoned out. That's when he noticed Caroline's fork move over and pick up a mushroom off Damon's plate and she stuck it in her mouth with an amused look as she eyed Damon who was gaping at her.

"Get your own mushrooms." He said to her annoyed. Nobody else was paying attention. They were used to Caroline and Damon bickering.

"I ate mine." She countered with a little smirk and he rolled his eyes.

"So just because you ate all of yours, _I_ have to suffer?" He asked her and she smiled.

"Yeah, basically." She replied and he scowled at her. "Consider it part of the eternity of payback you'll be getting for trying to kill me." She teased and he sighed.

"Yet, if I'd succeeded, I'd have mushrooms." He mumbled and she laughed then moved her fork and ate another one of his mushrooms. "Caroline." He said annoyed and she smiled then picked up a pickle from her plate with her fork and held it out to him.

"You _know_ you like pickles more than mushrooms anyway." She said amused and he chuckled then ate the pickle off her fork.

"So you're trading me?" He asked amused and she shrugged.

"Since you're being such a whiny little bitch about your mushrooms, I might as well." She teased and he rolled his eyes but she picked all of her pickles up and put them on his plate and he moved his mushrooms over to hers. Jeremy was stunned that nobody else saw it. But he saw the little glint in their eyes when they glanced at each other. That's when he realised that there was something there... they felt something for each other. He found he was quite happy about it actually. He thought they'd fit well together. He decided to _not_ voice his opinions to everyone else because he knew if they felt pushed, nothing would happen. So he just smiled and continued eating his dinner and ignored everyone else.

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><p>Bonnie figured it out next. She was kind of horrified. She was on good terms with Damon but that didn't mean she wanted her best friend anywhere near the guy. She decided not to say anything to anyone, hoping it would go away and if it wasn't pointed out, nobody would realise – since it was obvious neither one of them had any idea.<p>

She was in the boarding house and Caroline was trying to talk Damon into letting her throw an end of high school party at the boarding house. Stefan and Elena were there but as usual, they were too wrapped up in each other to notice.

"Do you have any idea how long this place stank of teenagers after the last party?" Damon asked her annoyed and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"You talk so much crap. You have sorority girls in and out all the time. You don't care about how they smell." She pointed out and he chuckled.

"Yeah, but that's usually because they smell of sex and blood and I _like_ that." He smirked and she glared at him. Bonnie noticed Caroline looked jealous. Bonnie noticed Damon was _trying_ to make her jealous. That's when her jaw dropped.

"Well, I'm sure there will be someone at the party you can suck dry." She said to him annoyed and his lip twitched in amusement.

"Why didn't you just say so? Now the party might be a _good_ idea." He said amused and she scowled at him.

"Do you always have to be such a sleaze ball?" She asked him and he chuckled.

"A sleaze ball?" He asked amused.

"Does anything matter to you at _all_ besides sex and blood?" She asked him and he smirked.

"Nope." He lied. Bonnie could see the lie – but Caroline couldn't.

"I'm throwing the party, Damon." She warned him and he shot her an amused look.

"You do that, Blondie. Just don't be surprised if the after party is in my bedroom." He winked at her and she shot him a look.

"Poor girl, whoever she is." Caroline said dryly and he laughed then walked over to the stairs. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"You know _from experience_ that she'll enjoy it." Damon winked at her then disappeared up the stairs and Bonnie saw the lustful look that flashed across Caroline's face after he was gone then she shook it off.

"I hate him. He's such an ass." Caroline said to Bonnie and Bonnie looked at her confused then just nodded. Yeah, she definitely wasn't pointing it out to Caroline. No way.

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><p>Alaric was the next person to notice it at the party two weeks later. He'd been standing talking to Damon but he was obviously distracted by something and he kept glancing around a little absently. It wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it. Alaric couldn't understand who Damon was looking for. Stefan was in the room, as was Elena. This went on for a good ten minutes until Caroline came into the room. Then he saw Damon relax a little and a small smile appeared on his face then his concentration went back to what he and Ric were talking about. Ric found that kind of weird.<p>

That was until Matt went over to talk to Caroline – then Damon's good mood seemed to be replaced with an annoyed one. Seconds later he excused himself and Ric saw Damon chatting to some pretty girl. Ric saw him charming her completely then he noticed Caroline glance over at Damon and _scowl_. That's when it all clicked for Ric and he chuckled and rolled his eyes at the two of them being so juvenile. He watched for a few minutes because he found it highly amusing. Every once in a while, Damon would glance over at Caroline who would be smiling or laughing then Damon would retaliate by flirting even more heavily with the girl. Caroline would glance over then retaliate by finding a reason to touch Matt. It kept going like that until Damon was full on making out with the girl and Caroline was full on making out with Matt... but they still kept peeking at each other but hadn't been caught. Ric found it _hilarious_ – so he didn't say anything either. It was too funny to ruin.

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><p>Stefan noticed next and he was kind of shocked to say the least... but it kind of made sense since Damon hadn't shown <em>any<em> interest in Elena for well over six months. He didn't know _how_ it took him so long to figure it out but he'd been preoccupied with other things. It was the 3rd of October and it was Caroline's birthday. Elena, Stefan, Jeremy and Bonnie were at the boarding house to celebrate then they were going out to a concert that night. They were sitting around the couches having a drink with each other. They'd all opted to go to Mystic Falls University instead of leaving. They just wanted to stay and make sure the supernatural threat was really gone for good. They all decided that if everything was still fine the following summer, they'd transfer to different colleges once they were sure everything was safe.

Elena had gotten Caroline a fancy expensive makeup set and brushes from Bobbi Brown. Bonnie had gotten Caroline a beautiful white gold locket and had it engraved. Stefan got her a new mobile phone that he knew she wanted. And Jeremy got her the complete Friends box set under Bonnie's instructions.

Stefan couldn't help notice that every once in a while – though it wasn't obvious unless you were looking for it – Caroline would glance towards the stairs. It had him kind of curious but he didn't say anything about it. They'd been there for a while when Damon finally came downstairs. On the phone. He was dressed in his jacket and shoes so he was obviously leaving.

"Yeah, I'm leaving. Stop being so god damn naggy." Damon said into the phone and they all looked at him curiously but he didn't look at any of them. "You are being naggy, Ric." He retorted annoyed. "I'm not arguing about this anymore." Damon said to him as he crossed the room over to his liquor cabinet then took out a bottle. "How is this a discussion when you're just nagging?" He asked as he walked back out of the room into the hallway. Stefan saw a flash of disappointment on Caroline's face then he looked towards the hall. From where he was sitting, he was the only one that saw it. Damon put his hand in his pocket then took out a little wrapped box and put it on the banister. Stefan's jaw dropped. "Yeah, I'll be there in five minutes, calm down." He muttered then left the boarding house and closed the door behind him.

"He didn't even say happy birthday." Elena said annoyed and Stefan looked highly amused.

"Care?" Stefan asked with a smirk and she looked at him. He saw the trace of sadness in her eyes. "Damon just put a present on the banister before he left." Stefan said and all of them looked surprised.

"What?" Caroline asked shocked and Stefan chuckled. He walked into the hall then picked up the package and went back into the living room. He handed it to her and she looked at Stefan confused. It was wrapped in white paper with a teal blue ribbon and there was a tiny card attached. She took out the card then opened it.

_Happy birthday, Blondie._

She was surprised all over again. She opened the ribbon then unwrapped the paper and _everyone's_ jaw dropped when they saw a teal blue Tiffany's box sitting there. She lifted the lid and her eyes widened in disbelief and she just stared at it for like half a minute.

"What is it?" Stefan asked when he saw Caroline's stunned face. Bonnie's attitude changed then about Damon and she couldn't help melting a little that he knew that. She'd been totally against it before but now she was kind of for it if he would do something that sweet.

"Is it the right one?" Bonnie asked Caroline with a wide smile and Caroline nodded in shock. Jeremy was grinning like an idiot. He was hoping that Damon finally realised. That Caroline finally realised. He'd known for like four months but nothing had happened yet.

"Right one?" Stefan asked confused as Caroline lifted it out of the box carefully.

"It's the Atlas toggle bracelet." Bonnie told Stefan fondly. "Caroline's wanted that for three years." She said and Stefan looked just as stunned as Caroline then. That's when he realised it. Damon was totally into Caroline.

"How would Damon know about that?" Elena asked confused.

"How does Damon ever know anything? He just always does." Jeremy smirked and they laughed.

"That was nice of him." Elena said to Caroline who still couldn't speak. She _had_ wanted it for three years. She'd just never expected _Damon _to be the one to get it for her. Stefan helped her put it on and a short while later they were on their way to the concert. Stefan was next to Caroline in the backseat as Bonnie was driving with Elena in the front. Caroline got her phone out because she couldn't resist. She sent him a text and Stefan glanced at the screen absently so she wouldn't notice him doing it but he saw what she wrote anyway.

**How did you know?**

She sent. Moments later there was a reply.

**About?**

Stefan saw her roll her eyes and bit his lip so he wouldn't laugh.

**The bracelet.**

She wrote back and it was a whole minute before he wrote back. Stefan gathered Damon was trying to think of some reason before writing back.

**Remembered you yammering on about it once.**

Caroline smirked at that. It was such a Damon way of saying something nice.

**Thank you. I love it.**

She replied. All she got back was a wink face.

**;)**

Stefan was quite pleased about this. Clearly his brother _really_ liked her if he would do something so nice. He wondered how long this had been going on then he remembered Jeremy's face and had to ask. They went to the concert and he and Jeremy went to the bar together. Once he was out of Caroline's hearing range he just _had _to ask.

"How long have you known?" Stefan asked him and Jeremy looked confused. "That Damon likes Caroline." He added.

"Oh... uh... since June?" Jeremy asked as he thought about it and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"_June_?" He asked in disbelief and Jeremy nodded.

"Caroline likes him too. You didn't notice before?" He asked confused.

"No." Stefan replied honestly.

"You're not the only one." Jeremy replied.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked confused.

"Bonnie and Ric know but Elena doesn't. But the _main _thing... Caroline and Damon don't know." He said.

"Huh?" Stefan asked.

"Caroline and Damon are _totally_ into each other but neither of them knows that. Damon hasn't got the slightest clue that he's into Caroline and Caroline hasn't got the slightest clue that she's into Damon." He said. "So _don't_ say anything." Jeremy warned him with a knowing look.

"Why?" Stefan asked confused.

"Because when they finally figure it out, they'll be perfect for each other. So don't ruin it, Stefan." Jeremy said surprising Stefan. "Obviously there must be a reason it's taking so long for them to figure it out so just let them. Neither of them are getting any older so let them figure it out for themselves." He said.

"Okay." Stefan nodded.

"And don't tell Elena. She'll just ruin it by insisting they talk about it." Jeremy said.

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><p>Elena figured it out seconds before Caroline and Damon both figured it out.<p>

It was New Year's Eve and all of them were in the town square to watch the fireworks. The countdown for midnight started and Stefan, Bonnie, Jeremy and Ric all noticed Caroline and Damon moving absently closer to each other. It wasn't obvious if you weren't looking for it and they looked highly amused. They brushed against each other then turned to look who it was and ended up face-to-face. Their eyes locked. That was the moment Elena realised it. She saw the way they were looking at each other. She was shocked but she didn't have much time to process it before... 3.2.1. Happy New Year! Caroline and Damon kissed. Bonnie and Jeremy kissed. Stefan and Elena kissed. And Alaric and his new girlfriend kissed. Seconds later Damon and Caroline pulled away and they were both _wide eyed _as they stared at each other shocked. The others were highly amused considering they'd all been wondering how long it would take for them to realise.

"I like you?" Caroline blurted shocked and it was extremely obvious that she'd _just_ figured it out. It was like she was asking herself that in disbelief. Damon looked just as shocked as her.

"How did this happen?" Damon asked still wide eyed and neither said anything else they just stared as they tried to comprehend the fact that they clearly liked each other.

"No idea." Caroline said. The others were trying not to laugh at how awkward and stunned the two of them looked. They figured they should probably stop watching but it was too funny to stop.

"Well... that was unexpected." Damon said and Caroline nodded.

"You going to kiss me again?" She asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"Seems likely." He said then crashed his lips to hers.


End file.
